In this Dec. 8, 2013 photo, a mixture of artificial fibres and natural grass grows on the pitch of the Arena de Sao Paulo, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At Arsenal's Highbury Stadium, Edu played on one of football's finest pitches. Award-winning Arsenal groundsman Paul Burgess became so well-known for his green fingers that he was eventually lured away by Real Madrid. So when Edu returned home to Brazil in 2009 to finish his career, the worn and sorry state of some Brazilian football fields was an eye-opener. Even now, as the World Cup host rushes to ready itself, Edu says pitches in Brazil aren't on a par with those in Europe, where he played for eight years, at Arsenal and Valencia. (AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop)